


Harmony of the Heart

by DVa



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-02 21:25:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10227782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DVa/pseuds/DVa
Summary: Valerie Grey hadn't intended on becoming a member of Overwatch. Now her training is complete and her missions will soon begin, bringing with it a huge change she could never have expected. Shaken, she begins a path of new and old discoveries, as well as learning new things about herself along the way, yet how long can she hide her secrets from her friends?--Originally posted on Wattpad, but switching on over to AO3! This is my first fic here, so please treat me well!! uwu





	1. Chapter Index

Chapter Index

I. Support

II. Dawn

III. Smoke

IV. Saudade

V. Dusk 

~~VI. Apaixonar~~


	2. I. Support

Valerie Grey had never really been the sort of person to willingly engage within any form of altercation. In fact, the idea of purposefully attempting to harm others daunted her. Whether human, animal or omnic she understood that all living things, regardless of their creation, should be entitled to live how they choose and to never be controlled by anything or anyone other than themselves. So of course, when Overwatch called her in alongside the recalls and asked her to join their ranks, she was naturally appalled at the idea and frankly wanted to turn down the offer immediately. After some coaxing and in-depth explanations from the one who induced the recall, Winston, she reluctantly agreed to join as a supporting role. Valerie grew to see the darker side of the world and, much to her horror, watched many friends and comrades fall to Talon. Broken, she considered leaving Overwatch for good but over time slowly began to realise that to make the world better, she had to  _fight_  for it. After speaking to her comrades around at the Overwatch headquarters, she finally agreed to take on a more defensive role, yet insisted to still be primarily able to heal her allies. Overwatch had become the first place she agreed to hold a gun within her own hands, and thus her intense training had begun.

 

"Valerie!" The door to Valerie's room had been thrown open with a crash and a clatter, startling the woman who had been pinning up her dusty blonde hair into two loose buns and had now dropped the hairpins she had been holding. Hana Song stood at the door with her chest heaving; Valerie was terrified that something had happened to someone on the team, but Hana's bright smile told a different story. "Tomorrow's the day we get to go on our first mission together! Are you excited?" She threw herself onto Valerie's bed, leaving the door wide open as she did so. Valerie sighed, leaning over to pick up her fallen hairpins, but a smile was etched across her lips.

"Of course I am, Hana." She replied, turning back to the mirror before her and winding up some of her hair into a bun one again. Her hair was too long for a small bun, so some hair hung loosely at the back; Hana often referred to this as Valerie's anime hairstyle. Valerie didn't really mind. "It's my first mission as a fully-fledged support for Overwatch. Everything I've worked towards will be put into use tomorrow." Valerie heaved a sigh, turning away from the mirror and to gaze at Hana who was staring inquisitively at her. "I hope I don't let us down." Hana furrowed her brows and leaned forward to rest her hands on her knees.

"Valerie Grey if I hear you doubt yourself one more time I'll be telling Reinhardt." She stood and walked across the room to wrap her arms around her friend, squeezing her with a strength that surprised Valerie even after years of knowing Hana. "Or worse; Angela. You'll never hear the end of her lectures of believing in yourself." Valerie let out a gentle laugh and pushed herself to her feet. She stood a little taller than Hana and nudged her with her elbow.

"I think Reinhardt would be worse!" She said as they walked in unison out of the room, Valerie pausing to shut the door as they did so. "He loves to start on one topic and finish on another a million years later." Hana hummed in agreement as they made their way to the mess hall. 

"Don't be nervous though, Valerie." She said in a more serious tone. "We'll protect you and Lúcio, that's our job alongside completing the mission. All you'll have to do is heal us when we need it; we all trust you and Lúcio will help you if you need it." Valerie sighed as they entered the mess hall, her gaze drifting across the many members of Overwatch who had gathered there for lunch.

"I hope you're right." She said gently as Hana snorted in reply. 

"I'm always right; you'll do great!" As she spoke, Lena and Lúcio had made their way towards them both with nervous expressions, as though they were feeling rather sheepish about something. Hana greeted them both as Valerie's gaze continued to trail over the many Overwatch members in the room. She noticed Angela's gaze was resting on her and when their gazes met, Angela nodded gently to her. Valerie couldn't help but be afraid of her mission. If she failed her job, her friends could die and it'd be her fault. She hadn't realised how much of a burden the job at Overwatch was going to be, but she certainly felt frightened now.

"Valerie?" Her attention snapped back to her friendship group to see all three of them gazing at her with worried expressions. "You alright, love?" Lena murmured carefully. Valerie took a few moments to process what she had been asked before nodding with a gentle blush.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just spaced out a little."

"You know you can talk to us, right?" Lúcio murmured, Hana and Lena nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I know." Valerie forced a smile. "Don't worry about me, I'm just lost in my own thoughts. I'll be fine later." Valerie mentally kicked herself as all three of her friends arched their eyebrows but said nothing more. They knew she wasn't telling the truth, but Valerie didn't want them to know she was terrified of their lives being in her hands. She realised her gaze had lingered on Lúcio before giving him a lopsided smile and blinking a few times. "I ought to go make sure I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm sure Angela will want to go over how the staff works a few more times." As she turned and left, she could feel the worried gazes of her friends on her back and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for tomorrow to never come around.

 

"Valerie," Angela said with an exasperated sigh, her pale brows furrowed and her forefingers and thumb squeezing her temples gently. "You must know the staff better than I do, now. You should really go and get yourself some dinner before it gets too late."

"There must be something I don't know." Valerie murmured, her voice escalating to a higher pitch. Angela could see her anxieties and had begun to worry about how it may affect her performances the next day; just one slip up could cost someone's life. She made a mental note to discuss tagging along with Winston later.

"The blue stream is the damage buff; the yellow is the healing stream and when the staff is at full power..." Angela coaxed.

"I can resurrect one or more fallen allies." 

"That's all there is to it, Valerie." Angela put a hand on Valerie's shoulder gently. "If you're worried about tomorrow, I can easily fill in for you."

"No, no. That won't be necessary. I'll be fine." Angela lifted a brow but said nothing more, nodding as Valerie mumbled something about needing to get some sleep. Angela fell deeply concerned for Valerie and, although it pained her to admit it, began to wonder if the girl would make it as a full member of Overwatch after all.

 

Valerie left the medical room and made for the mess hall before deciding that she wasn't hungry. She turned sharply and made her way outside, finding a spot overlooking the sea to sit down in. She'd come here often when she was worried and now she was more terrified of the coming day than she had ever been before. A chill ran down her spine as she gazed upon the rippling surface of the sea, the moons light had shattered across the never ending ocean, broken by each rise and fall of the current. Footsteps disturbed her thoughts, yet she didn't turn around. Part of her was suspicious that Angela had followed her and was about to force her to eat something, but the newcomer only settled down beside her with their elbows on their knees. Valerie was familiar about the posture and the smell of cologne only confirmed her suspicions.

"Everything alright, Val?" Lúcio asked, his gaze fixed upon the moon above them. "I know we've pressed on about it, but we're worried about you. If you need to talk you can let it all out; that's what friends are for." Valerie sighed and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her head upon her knees.

"I know, Lúcio." She said gently, though her voice had begun to sound strained. "It's just the mission tomorrow. If I fail, people could die. If I lost any of you because of my incompetence I don't know what I'd do."

"You're not incompetent." Lúcio murmured quickly, his brows pushing together. "You're Angela's Apprentice. You'll be just as good as she is and more, as you'll have your own flair to add to it. You won't let anyone down, Valerie." Valerie turned her head away and shut her eyes.

"I'm so afraid that I will, though." Valerie whispered, her throat tightening as she spoke. Lúcio could hear the pain within her voice and began to feel unsure of how to assist her. It was up to her, after all, if she would win or lose her mental battles. "Real battles won't be like those in training. I lost people I loved during the omnic crisis and it'll probably happen again. I don't think I could take it." Lúcio was silent for a few moments before he finally spoke;

"You can always talk to Angela or Winston about this. They won't mind if you want to drop out, you know."

"I can't back out and give up." Valerie said so quietly it was almost inaudible, her gaze turning to meet Lúcio's in an almost pleading manner. "If I do that, I'll never be useful to Overwatch. Please don't tell them, Lúcio." Lúcio's lips parted, as though he were to speak, but he simply nodded in silent agreement and turned his attention back to the sky.

"It's a great night for stargazing." He commented, wanting to take her mind off the coming day. Valerie hummed in agreement, still absent from him until he turned to look at her, a small smile on his lips. "I see your problem," He said suddenly, causing Valerie to look up with slightly widened eyes. "You're spending too much time looking down, when what's really important is right in front of you." Lúcio stretched his arm upwards, as though he was about to pluck the moon from the sky. Valerie looked up for a few moments, before returning her gaze to the man beside her, an innocent smile on his face and still full of the light of positivity that the world had not yet taken from him. She realised that his words were truer than he would ever realise and it killed her to know she may never see him again if she failed in her mission.


	3. II. Dawn

 

Valerie awoke with wires tangled around her arm and feeling oddly relaxed considering the day before, as well as what the current day would bring her. As she gazed at the wires only half awake, she recalled that Lúcio had insisted on helping her relax and had offered her his mp3 player for the evening. He had given her a two-hour loop of Rejuvenescência, yet it had only taken her ten minutes to fall asleep the previous night. He has also somehow managed to convince her to eat something, cooking some Pão de Queijo. It turned out all they were were bread rolls with cheese inside, but Valerie hadn't tasted anything better. Lúcio mentioned that it was one of his mothers' favourite things to make, yet promised to make a better Brazilian dish for her when the cupboards were fully stocked. As she picked up the mp3 player and wound the wires around it neatly, she was given the grim reminder of what the day was about to bring her. Perhaps Lúcio would never get the chance to cook for her again. As nausea hit her, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed the mp3 player on her bedside table, noting that it was 5.30am, before making her way to the bathroom. She contemplated whether she would vomit, but swallowed the bile in her throat and continued to turn the shower on. There was no point in succumbing to her anxieties now, as she had already made her decision. She took her time in the shower; they didn't have to leave until 9am and it was only 5.55am when she had dressed herself in her under-suit. She tied her hair up into two tight buns on the top of her head and made for the door, picking up the mp3 player as she went. She unravelled the earbuds and began to listen to one of his newer songs,  _Apaixonar_. She made another mental note to ask him what it meant later. It was a very soft and slow song, something that she felt his feelings went into. She wondered if he missed his home and his family and a wave of empathy came over her. As she neared the mess hall, she felt a tap on the shoulder and almost jumped out of her skin, turning to meet the amused gaze of Angela.

"Good morning, Valerie." She murmured once Valerie removed her earbuds. "I have something for you, if you don't mind." Valerie arched an eyebrow and nodded as Angela turned away, leading her to the medical bay. Valerie felt confused as she watched the tall, blonde woman lean over a long box at the back of the room. "Now," She began, lifting something up. "I thought that rather than using mine, you should have one as your own. Torbjörn crafted it and helped me fit the power core." She turned to show a staff similar to hers, yet it was smaller and made mostly of wood. "I thought you would appreciate the natural look to it. It works similarly to mine, however instead of a damage buff it's a damage stream that automatically locks onto enemies within a metre of yourself and gains power over time. It will return to its normal power after 5 seconds away from contact of enemies. I have left the ability to resurrect fallen allies to your use, as it's very beneficial in the heat of combat." Angela smiled sweetly, her gaze glistening with pride for her student who stared open-mouthed at the staff that as now in her hands. Valerie ran her fingers down the shaft, her eyes shimmering with tears. Angela would do this... for  _her_?

"Thank you, Angela." She said in a strained voice, a smile plastered on her expression. "I won't let you down, I promise." Angela's smile widened.

"I know you won't, Valerie." She murmured, and stepped closer to the woman before her to envelope her in a warm embrace. "I want you to know that whatever happens today, I will be proud of you and how far you have come. You couldn't let me down if you tried, Valerie, my brightest student."

"I couldn't have had a better teacher." Valerie replied, returning the embrace and smiling into Angela's shoulder, comforted by the warmth of one of the people closest to her. As they pulled apart, she held the staff tightly in her hands and they exchanged well-wishes, before Valerie left towards the mess hall once again. She didn't bother with Lúcio's music this time; she had all the comforting she needed for now. She picked up her armour from her locker on the way to the hall, tucking it under her arm, her other hand holding the staff she was given. Lúcio and Hana were already in the mess hall when she arrived, looking up at her with surprise. They sat across from each other, both already equipped with their armour and Hana's pistol on the table beside her, whereas Lúcio seemed to be cleaning his with a cloth.

"You're up early, Valerie." Hana commented, a faint blush across her cheeks. Valerie was equally surprised; why did Hana look as though she'd been caught red-handed? She turned her gaze momentarily to Lúcio who seemed indifferent, yet something glimmered in his dark eyes. Was he... sad? Her mind instantly shot to thinking that she'd walked in on them talking about personal matters; perhaps they were romantically involved. The idea made a pang of pain shoot through Valerie's stomach which surprised her even more. Hana certainly caught on to her feelings as she moved her pistol and patted the seat beside her. "Come sit with us, Valerie. We should talk strats before we head out. Lúcio is making some toast for us this morning." Lúcio nodded once, a smile appearing on his face. Valerie made her way to sit with her friends who were watching her carefully, before placing her staff and armour on the ground behind her, tucking them safely under the chair. Feeling as though she should lighten the mood, she grinned at Lúcio.

"Not Pow de Quiche today then?" She asked in a teasing tone. Hana furrowed her brows and looked to Lúcio for the answer to this inside joke Valerie had just formed.

"Pão de Queijo!" Lúcio retorted with a laugh, clearly relieved Valerie wasn't too shaken up today. "No, I thought it'd be better if we had a light breakfast. We can eat as much as we want when we get back."  _If we come back at all._  Valerie added privately, looking down at her hands. Lúcio had caught on and stood from his seat. "It's probably done now, I'll go see." He walked away, leaving Valerie alone with Hana who was watching her in silence. Finally, she opened her mouth, hesitating, before starting to speak.

"So, Valerie," She said carefully. "Lúcio and I have been talking and we want you to know that we'll protect you on our mission today. We won't let your first one be the worst one." She paused before adding; "Although, it shouldn't be too difficult, honestly. All we're doing is chasing a disruptive gang out of Ilios. I doubt it'll be too difficult unless they  _really_  don't want to leave. With any luck, we'll be able to hang around afterwards as well! Ilios is a really beautiful place." Hana seemed to radiate positivity, yet Valerie's stomach still felt hollow. Anything could go wrong, really. Lúcio returned with a plate stacked of toast, his other hand holding a tray of butter, jams and marmalades. "Wooooh, Lúcio, that's a lot for just the three of us!" Hana exclaimed, her auburn eyes sparkling. Lúcio chuckled at her reaction and jerked his head towards the door where Lena, Angela and Fareeha walked in.

"It's not just for us, Hana." He murmured, sitting across from Valerie after he set the plate and trays down. Lena zipped over to them and sat beside Lúcio and across from Hana.

"Wow, Lúcio, you're prepared today, love!" She exclaimed, but was beaming form ear today. Valerie's gaze lifted to Fareeha who sat beside Lúcio and met her gaze coolly. Valerie had never much liked Fareeha – she had never seemed to want to befriend her and spent most of her time discussing missions with Winston. She was married to her work, for certain, yet seemed to get along with the older agents of Overwatch mainly Reinhardt and Angela. Fareeha's gaze was half-lidded as she glared without feeling towards Valerie, who ended up tearing her gaze away from the intimidating yet beautiful young woman.

Valerie remained quiet for the rest of the morning, often exchanging timid, worried glances with Lúcio who would always smile reassuringly. As she was putting on her armour, Lúcio approached her and sat nearby, beginning to suit up in his mechanical skates. They were silent for a while as they armoured up, simply appreciating each other's comfort, until Lúcio finally spoke up.

"It'll be me, you, Hana, Fareeha and Hanzo on this one." He said gently, finally bringing up the inevitable conversation they were going to share. He sat up once he was finished clipping up his leg armour and fixed Valerie was a serious gaze. "You're gonna do great, I know it. Believe in yourself, Val. I won't leave your side." Valerie smile at the man before her and stood to her feet to make her way to the ship that was waiting for its departure, giving him a gentle thump on the shoulder with her fist. He stood to follow, skating slowly at her side as they made their way to the docking bay together.

"Then I have nothing to worry about."

The whirr of the engines told Valerie that they were about to take off. Beside her, Lúcio spoke quietly with Hana, their voices seeming distant to Valerie who was attempting to silently soothe her thudding heart. Her anxiety for her first mission was beginning to frighten her once again and she could feel her palms getting sweaty. She ran her hands down her briefs and leaned her head back against the seat, a sigh escaping her parted lips. This was the worst part, waiting. Knowing that soon she would be surrounded by gunfire and dying friends and that only she and Lúcio would be able to stop them hurting. She felt the ship jolt and instantly knew they had taken off. After a few minutes, Lena called out to them to tell them it was okay to wander about the ship. Valerie watched as her friends unbuckled themselves and made their way across the deck to talk to Angela and Winston, who had decided to tag along for the journey. Valerie couldn't help but notice that Angela occasionally glanced in her direction, but pretended to not notice; had Lúcio told her after all? She reached down to unbuckle her seatbelt before wandering across the deck and picking up a bottle of water on one of the shelves. No, Lúcio was the kind to always take people's words into consideration; he would never purposefully break his promise to her. Angela, however, would always know what was going on in Valerie's head. It was only natural she would worry over her – Angela had always been like a mother to Valerie. She was grateful for that.

Valerie's gaze was locked onto Lúcio as he spoke to Hana across the deck and his head tipped back in a hearty laugh. Hana's gaze flicked to Valerie's for a moment and they shared a smile with one another. Valerie was filled with instant dread when she realised she may never see her friends again, but Lúcio's promise rang clear in her head. She  _was_  going to do great, and she  _was_  going to come home. It was a simple mission and she wasn't fighting alone. Across the deck, she spotted Fareeha sat by herself and had half a mind to greet her and sit with her, but she had no idea what to say. It was true that there were going to be people she liked and people she disliked, and that some would like her and others would not, but Fareeha's cold approach to others confused her. She wanted to try and befriend her, but the idea scared her. A similar feeling appeared as her gaze shifted to the eldest Shimada brother who was perching on the steps towards the top of the deck. He was cold and distant to most, even his own brother, Genji who was a cyborg. She knew of their history, that Hanzo had killed Genji due to his duty, but she could see in his eyes every time the master of the Shimada Clan looked upon his brother that he was deeply riddled with regret and had not yet forgiven himself. She sat down on a curved bench next to a table and sipped at the water. She no longer felt nervous – she was beyond that now. She felt... nothing. Rather, she felt a little numb about the mission now. Valerie couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but regardless she was no longer afraid. That was progress.

After a while, Lena called for them to buckle up as they were approaching Ilios. As Valerie strapped herself in and waited for the all-clear, she forced herself to breathe slowly. Lúcio reached toward her and patted her hand encouragingly.

"We're right here." He murmured gently. "We'll be right beside you."


	4. III. Smoke

The door to the ship opened with a prolonged creak, sunlight filtering into the cabin forcing Valerie to hold up a hand to her eyes. Angela walked up beside her and put a hand to the small of her back. In her other hand was the staff she had crafted for Valerie. As the other members of her team filtered out around her, Valerie lifted her chin to meet Angela's gaze.

"If you need me, I'll be right here." She said softly her blue gaze reassuring. "Just call for me. I will hear you." Winston approached as well, nodding in agreement.

"We are a family, Valerie." He murmured, readjusting his glasses. "We will support you however you need us to. Never be afraid to ask for our help." Valerie's lips twitched into a small smile.

"Thank you, both of you." She replied carefully. "But I'm sure I'll be fine. I have my friends with me on this one. They'll give me all the courage I need." Winston nodded with a smile.

"Nothing is more powerful than friendship." He commented and Angela nodded in agreement.

"You'll do just fine." Valerie took one last glance at them before turning to the team that awaited her.

"You ready to go?" Lúcio asked and Valerie nodded once. Fareeha seemed to turn away and shoot up towards the sky, whereas Lena and Hanzo were waiting for the two of them to catch up. Lena grinned lopsidedly as Lúcio opened his mouth to question her, but she was quick to answer as usual.

"I wanted to tag along too. The Big Guy said if I got into trouble I was to come straight back." She scoffed mockingly but a smile was still apparent on her expression. "He's like my dad sometimes I swear."

"Are we going to stand here and talk all day?" Hanzo grunted, speaking for perhaps the first time in Valerie's vicinity. Lena clicked her tongue and shook her head before looking upwards at Fareeha who was descending upon them.

"They appear to be wreaking havoc in the shopping district near the lighthouse." She murmured as she touched down, her voice thick with her Egyptian accent. "I advise that Hanzo takes a high point to scout the area. Lena, you should flank alongside Lúcio who can give you the extra boost in speed." She turned her gaze to Valerie who swallowed nervously, then furrowed her brows as she looked past her instead. "Where is Hana?"

"I'm here, ready for combat!" A bright pink mech dropped down from the sky and Fareeha nodded in approval.

"Okay, you and Valerie can stick together and come straight up through the middle. I will flank from the sky and keep hidden on the top of the buildings. I assume all our intercoms are working?" A synchronised nod spread across the group. "Okay then, we're ready."

"Wait a moment," Lúcio cut in, glancing at Valerie with worry in his gaze. "Valerie and I should stick together." Fareeha didn't look impressed with his suggestion.

"Nonsense, if you're both in the same place people will be put at risk of harming themselves, or perhaps even dying." She almost growled at Lúcio's thoughtlessness, but Valerie knew why he had asked.

"It's okay." Valerie spoke up, catching Fareeha's eye. "I can handle myself." Fareeha gazed at her sceptically before nodding.

"Glad to hear it. If you get into trouble, Hana will be with you." She watched her for a few more moments before nodding. "Are we ready now?" Once again, every one nodded. "Good. Let's go." Hana turned to Valerie as Fareeha shot upwards into the sky and Hanzo launching himself up the side of a building. Lúcio turned to say something to Valerie, but Lena nudged him to follow; they couldn't wait now.

"Stick by me." She said sweetly before her mech began to trot forwards. Valerie had to jog to keep up, but it was no problem. The first few moments just involved them running through the white and blue streets of Ilios, but it wasn't long until the smell of smoke and the sound of explosions reached them. The event felt oddly surreal. Above them, Fareeha was gliding across the sky leaving a faint trail of smoke behind her. Valerie suddenly felt tense, her anxieties returning as they neared the point where the destruction became apparent. She felt as though something was watching them.

"Guys," She spoke suddenly, lifting a hand to her intercom. "I have a terrible feeling we're not alone." Looking upwards at Fareeha, she watched as the woman in the air turned in a full circle, scanning the buildings surrounding them. Hana continued forwards before slowing to a stop. Valerie stood beside her, staff in her hands and at the ready, as Lúcio and Lena rounded a corner into their view. Hana looked as tense as Valerie did now and when Valerie looked up to glance at Lúcio, his eyes were filled with pain and worry. Fareeha hovered in the air and landed on a building beside Hanzo, exchanging glances with the team. Without any warning, the building before them erupted with a huge explosion, throwing debris and ash everywhere in the process. Hana quickly put up her defence matrix, shielding herself and Valerie in the process. Valerie attempted to call out to the others, but her throat became dry from the dust that now filled the air. It was Hana who called out, being safe in her mech, and gradually they heard responses from everyone on their team.

"Is everyone okay?" Fareeha coughed through the intercom. "We've lost visuals, but what I saw didn't look good."

"I think Lúcio and Lena's intercoms are stuffed," Hana replied instantly. "Valerie is safe with me." She seemed to peer into the dust. "Lena and Lúcio are fine, I can see them from here. We're all safe, Pharah." She slipped in the codename in case their lines were breached.

"Good," Fareeha replied, relief evident in her voice. "We need to regroup, I think this is bigger than just a gang."

"Got it." Hana murmured and attempted to move through the debris in her Mech, but the gears had seized up. "Dammit..." She cursed, receiving a quick "What?" from Fareeha.

"My Mech's busted." She groaned, hurt in her voice. "I can call in another but it'll take a while." She manually ejected from the meka and landed neatly beside Valerie. "Well, no more defence matrix." She said in a nervous voice. Valerie merely shook her head.

"We'll be fine. Let's find Lúcio and Lena." The suggestion made Hana nod once with confidence and she pulled out her pistol. They edged their way towards where they last saw the two, calling out their names as they went. Movement ahead caused them to veer to the left, but they soon came face-to-face with a large, round man with silver hair wearing a gas mask. He had black fingernails and a hook attached to his belt, as well as an unflattering tattoo on his belly. Hana's eyes widened and the man grunted loudly, another much smaller and skinnier coming to stand at his side. This one looked straight-up insane, Valerie thought, his platinum hair was aflame and he was entirely covered in soot. One of his arms and legs had prosthetics, though they certainly didn't look as though they were quality ones.

"It's you!" Hana exclaimed and the two men shuffled nervously, the smallest cackling a little. "You're behind this?"

"The explosion?" The smallest man said in a shrill voice. "Nah not us, no way." Hana gave him a narrowed look. "Okay, maybe the explosion was, but we're on our way out. We're not the only ones here, mate." Valerie gazed at Hana, who returned the gesture. So, she was right after all.

"Who else is here?"

"Not sure, mate." The blonde replied, glancing over his shoulder. "But if ya thought we were the ones makin' a mess you were right. We'll be on our way now, places to go, things to steal..." Hana placed her hands on her hips as they hobbled away from them.

"Junkers." She scoffed, continuing onwards with a warier step.

"Junkers?" Valerie echoed. "Who were they?"

"The small one is Junkrat, the big one Roadhog." Hana explained while trying to navigate the debris. "They're not friends, not enemies. Occasionally they'll help us out when we need it." Valerie fell silent for a few moments. They weren't alone here, and it wasn't even Junkrat and Roadhog that had sent her suspicions haywire. She looked over her shoulder suddenly. "Are you okay?" Hana questioned and Valerie furrowed her brows.

"I just... I feel like someone's watching us." She said quietly and Hana nodded in agreement. Something was oddly eerie about the area. The dust began to settle and they rounded a corner to find Lúcio and Lena walking towards them. Relief swept over their gazes, yet Lúcio's attention was fixed on Valerie.

"Oh, thank goodness," Lena cried rushing towards them and enveloping them into a hug. "You're both safe. Once our intercoms cut off we were worried we wouldn't be able to get back into contact... Hana, where's your mech, love?"

"The dust stuffed it." She murmured irritably. "Though I think it's better we return to Fareeha. We found Junkrat and Roadhog and they said they weren't the only ones here."

"Those old geezers are still kicking?" Lena remarked before nodding. "Sounds sensible. This place is giving me the creeps." The four of them turned back the way they came, carefully picking their way around the debris surrounding them. Eventually Fareeha came into view, her helmet tucked under her arm and a smile formed once she saw the four of them making their way towards her.

"There she is," Lena commented and rushed forwards now the path was clearing. Hana quickened her pace too, glad to be free of the broken buildings, but Valerie stopped completely. Something had just moved towards her. She was sure there were footsteps. She turned, narrowing her gaze into the thick dust they had waded through.

"You okay?" Lúcio murmured behind her and she nodded slowly.

"I thought I heard something." She admitted before turning back to face him. He was several paces in front of her and started walking when she did again. She saw Fareeha move as quick as lightning, pressing her helmet onto her head and zipping up into the air suddenly. At the same time a whoosh of air passed behind her and she heard a dark cackle, turning to face a tall figure in a black cloak, a white mask covering their face. Fareeha and Hanzo were shouting warnings. Lena cried out with horror. Lúcio and Hana were screaming her name. She couldn't hear them. She was entranced by the figure before her. This figure... felt so familiar. The shotgun pointed at her chest felt like déjà vu.

"Send my regards to Overwatch." The figure spoke in a low, dark, rasping voice, before pulling the trigger. Valerie felt her entire left arm screech with protest, her vision going red like blood. She couldn't see anything; she was blind. She heard people shouting as she lost herself, falling backwards unintentionally. She was right, after all then. She  _was_  going to fail, but it wasn't her friends that wouldn't return home. It was her. She could already feel life slipping away from her, her left arm felt as though it wasn't there at all now – it was completely numb. Perhaps she had broken the entire thing.  _Silly girl_. The voice echoed in her head. Why hadn't she run away from the figure? Why had she stared? More importantly, why did the idea that she was going to die please her? Her head hit the ground with a sickening crack, and she was gone.

 

It was Lúcio who had pushed the figure out of the way of making the killing blow, screaming at them in Portuguese. Fareeha had not hesitated and dove down towards the shadowy figure shouting something to Lúcio that caused him to shield Valerie's body with his own, but Winston bounded towards them on all fours, throwing a shield over them. He spoke gently yet quickly to Lúcio who was in shock but retained himself as best as he could. Fareeha then screamed something at the top of her lungs before rockets shot out of her armour and towards the figure that turned into smoke, rushing away like black water between the rubble until it was out of sight. Angela flew in by her Valkyrie suit, uttering apologies and "I should have known"s. Lúcio didn't know what to do. Winston lowered his shield and gazed at him with concern before offering some quiet murmurs of comfort. Lúcio stared at the body of Valerie. This was his fault.

"I'm sorry." He said suddenly, to which Winston and Angela looked up with surprise.

"Lúcio, no," Angela murmured, drawing an arm around the clearly shaken up musician. "This isn't your fault at all. These things happen. If anything, you saved her life." Lúcio looked horrified.

"On her first mission?" He almost whimpered. "She could never fight again. I told her I'd keep her safe but I didn't. I couldn't. She could be-"

"I will _not_ let her die." Angela said firmly. "Lúcio, could you carry her back to the ship?" She turned her gaze towards Winston who nodded and turned to the rest of them.

"I think that's enough. Everyone back to the ship; there is a much bigger threat here than we expected." He seemed horrified at the aspect that it was  _them_. Talon had been here and they were close to killing one of their brightest recruits, who may now never fight again. As everyone began to file back towards the ship, Lúcio carried Valerie limply in his arms. Blood covered his hands but he didn't care. Angela walked beside him, her gaze darting to and from Valerie, fear in her eyes. Angela was usually so confident, he noted, but Valerie's condition made it impossible for Angela to tell if she would live or die. Lena had blinked ahead and had already fired up the engines when they arrived. Angela instructed Lúcio to lay Valerie on a stretcher before taking her out of his line of sight. As he took his seat aboard the ship, he stared at his blood-stained hands and looked up only when he felt someone touch his arm; Hana.

"She'll be okay." She reassured him. "Valerie is strong and Angela is the best medic in the world. She'll be okay." Lúcio could see the tears brimming in Hana's eyes and she turned away to wipe at them, sniffing slightly. They sat in silence for most of the trip, the quiet only broken when Winston approached them as they neared Gibraltar once again.

"I think it's best you both stay at Gibraltar for a while." He said carefully, but Hana and Lúcio only nodded in submission. "What happened today was unexpected and horrific, I won't sugar-coat it. Take as much time to recuperate as you need." He didn't wait for an answer before walking away; he knew he wouldn't get one.


	5. IV. Saudade

Lúcio and Hana exited the ship in unison. They didn't see a sign of Valerie anywhere after the mission. Instead of going to the mess hall to hang out as they usually did, Lúcio separated himself from Hana and headed straight to his room in silence. His expression remained indifferent as he passed other Overwatch members. He knew Mei-Ling could see something was bothering him, but she didn't ask. She could tell what had happened by the rush towards the medical bay, the blood on Lúcio's hands and the fact she couldn't see Valerie return from the trip. Silently, she sent him condolences. It was easy to assume Valerie was dead. Lúcio refused to give up on the hope that he had, but a cold pit of dread filled his stomach. He pushed the door to his room open and headed straight for his bathroom to wash his hands and have a shower. Although the water made the discolour run from his skin, he couldn't shake the idea that the blood remained in his mind. He scrubbed at his hands until they were raw and hurting, but the blood remained, engraved in his mind. He hunched over and began to sob, for the horror that he had experienced replayed in his mind like a broken record. Later, he dried himself off and dressed in an Overwatch marked Tracksuit pants and a hoodie. He felt tired, yet knew he could not fall asleep if he tried. He picked up his clothing from the mission from the floor and took them to the laundry room. He felt as though his motions were robotic. Every movement was agony, except it wasn't. He left his clothes in the washing machine and made his way to the mess hall, hands in the pockets of his hoodie, where he found a lot of Overwatch agents had gathered and were talking quickly and quietly. His gaze trailed over to Hana, whose hand covered her mouth and tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked up at him with raw red eyes and her upset was even more inevitable as she completely broke down, her shoulders shaking violently. Lúcio had forgotten that she was only nineteen and to see her like this reminded him of her youth. He made his way towards her and she met him in the middle, throwing her arms around him tightly.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed. Lúcio didn't make a move to return the embrace although he knew he should have. He found it too difficult to move. "If my meka hadn't broken down, I could have saved her, I could have-"

"There is no point in blaming yourselves." They both lifted their gaze to Angela who had glided silently into the room. "There are always "could have's". But do not ever think this is your own fault. There was nothing any of us could have done to prevent this." All eyes in the room were on Angela now and Hana moved away from Lúcio.

"Will she be okay?" She asked timidly and Angela seemed hesitant to answer.

"I cannot say for sure." She admitted reluctantly. "She has lost a lot of blood and seems to be in some form of a coma." Lúcio's lips parted and his eyes widened in a silent horror. A coma? Some people never come out of them.

"Will we be able to visit her?" Fareeha spoke up from the crowd around the table. Angela shook her head.

"I think she will appreciate it more if we are patient with her." She said gently. "If she comes around, she will approach you in her own time, I am sure. There are... some things that will not be the same. She will need to come to terms and accept herself with that in her own time." Angela paused before adding solemnly. "Of course, this is hypothetical. I cannot say whether she will make it through the night." Lúcio lifted a hand to his face to wipe away a stray tear before murmuring;

"Thank you, Angela." His voice cracked as he spoke and he quickly turned and left. He made his way swiftly outside to the place Valerie would often sit to find it empty. He didn't know why he was surprised. He sat in the grass and stared absently as the sun was setting. It was not long ago they were sat beneath the moon together and the thought brought him to tears once again. It had been a long time since he had felt so broken. The last time was when he had lost friends and family to the uprising in Rio de Janeiro against the Vishkar corporation. He watched as the sky turned from blue, to orange, to black and allowed the moon and the stars to put him into a mindless trance.

 

A voice awoke him and he looked around to see Angela knelt beside him. She was holding something he couldn't see in her hands and her gaze was soft. She no longer looked worried, yet he could not discern if that was good or bad.

"You must be cold." She murmured and Lúcio tried to smile in reply. "Come on inside, I have some news for you." He nodded and followed her to the mess hall which was now completely empty aside from McCree in the kitchen area pouring himself a drink. Lúcio glanced at the clock high up on the wall; It was 1am. He must have been out there for hours, yet to him it felt like minutes.

"I saw you head outside, yet you did not return." She observed as she sat upon a chair facing him. "I'm surprised you didn't wake up sooner."

"I was tired." Lúcio said quickly, but Angela nodded in understanding.

"It's been a stressful day, I know." She reached forward to drop something into his grasp. "I found that in Valerie's pocket. I believe it's yours." Lúcio looked down at the item now in his hands to see it was his mp3 player. He smiled to himself, recalling that Valerie had always forgotten to return items, but this one had made its way back to him. He wouldn't have minded if she had kept it... Though perhaps she had no use for it now. Angela had been watching him carefully, a smile hinting at her lips. As his attention returned to her, the smile widened.

"Valerie will be fine."

"What?" Lúcio stammered, his grip tightening on the mp3 player.

"Her heartrate is steadying and she is merely in a slumber. I can't tell whether it'll be 3 days or 3 months until she wakes up." She continued, her gaze glistening with happiness. "But for now, she is safe. I will keep you updated, although when she comes around I'll let her decide when she wants to come to you. As I've said before, she is not how you remember her." Lúcio shook his head and smiled.

"If she's still Valerie, I'm just glad she's safe." He said, his usual happiness edging its way back into his voice. This made Angela happy enough to clap her hands a little with joy.

"Keep supporting her from the side-lines, Lúcio. I’m glad she has a friend like you." She said cheerily, standing up to leave. "You mean a lot to her, even if you don't see it sometimes. She isn't easy to give way to her emotions." She clicked her tongue as she turned away to head back to the medical bay. "You know, when she settled in with me, she wouldn't stop asking questions about you..." That made something in Lúcio's chest flutter and he realised suddenly why his music had turned in a new direction entirely.

Lúcio spent the following day writing a new song on his computer, finding it drifting in a similar direction to his most recent song. Feeling more like himself, he decided to roll with it, and called it "Saudade". As he finished as much as he could for one day, he fell into his bed. His gaze drifted to the mp3 player he had placed on his bedside table and out of curiosity, he picked it up and switched it on. Lúcio put the earbuds within his ears and pressed play, curiosity gripping him as to what Valerie had been last listening to. To his surprise, the gentle beat of Apaixonar filled his ears. He smiled gently to himself and sighed. Of all the songs Valerie had to be listening to, it had to be Apaixonar. He realised then, that Apaixonar's tone and melody reminded him of Valerie. He furrowed his brows and laughed to himself at his own irony; he had begun to understand himself from his own music without realising. The music he was writing had begun to express his thoughts and feelings, even if he hadn’t realised it yet. He wondered, suddenly, if Valerie had understood his songs before he did. He bit his lip for a moment before turning off the mp3 player and winding the earbuds around it, swinging his legs off the side of the bed and leaving his room without so much as glancing at the clock on his bedside table. He swiftly made his way towards the medical bay, the halls eerily silent, before he noticed Angela leaving the room she usually worked in: Perhaps even the room that contained Valerie. She looked up at him with surprise, before warmth flowed into them and she made her way towards him gracefully.

“Is everything okay, Lúcio?” She murmured, her voice as gentle as always. Lúcio nodded with a smile and held out the hand with the mp3 player in.

“I was wondering if you could leave this with Valerie.” He spoke casually, though as she took it from him, Angela’s gaze seemed to glisten with something she wasn’t letting off. “I think she needs this more than I do.” Angela nodded with a sweet smile.

“I understand,” She replied, clutching the mp3 player within her grasp. “Is there anything else you want me to pass on?” Lúcio looked thoughtful before shaking his head. Not yet.

“Just my regards and well-wishes.” He said with another smile before lifting a hand in farewell. “I’ll pop by again soon, I’m sure.” Angela nodded as he turned away.

“Whenever you’d like.” She watched him leave, noting the spring in his step and sighed to herself. She could see it, but why couldn’t they?

 

Lúcio passed the following days through writing music and occasionally speaking to Hana when they passed by one another. Hana had turned back to gaming, yet had told him she was worried she was letting her fans down, due to the lack of streaming. Lúcio knew that Hana’s fans were dedicated and would understand, yet their conversation veered away from the topic of Valerie before it could even get there. They were both still rather on edge about her. Lúcio would exchange pleasantries with Angela and be informed of Valerie’s progress, although not a lot had changed. Angela seemed to be with-holding a lot of information, but Lúcio understood; Valerie had always been a shy person. Whatever it was, he was sure it was important and that he’d know if she wanted him to.

Days passed into weeks before finally into a month. Lúcio had managed to compile an entirely new album and decided that he should see if Angela would return his mp3 player just momentarily. He wanted to put the album onto it for Valerie to listen to. He wanted her to be the first. It had turned to December when Lúcio was on his way to the medical room, yet as he did so the youngest Shimada brother, Genji, exited the door to Angela’s medical room. Lúcio tried his best to not look surprised or offended, but failed a little. The cyborg bowed a little, a formal gesture, before murmuring a gentle “Greetings.”. Without another word, he passed him silently. Lúcio couldn’t help but be taken aback – in what way was Genji related to Valerie? Were they distant cousins? No, he’d know that. Close friends? He’d probably know that too. Were they perhaps courting each other? Lúcio swallowed the bile in his throat. Surely not; she’d have said something before. Although, as he always reminded himself, Valerie was always very private so it wasn’t completely impossible. Genji was always polite, knew exactly what to say and was protective of those he cared about, even his own brother, Hanzo, who mostly ignored him now. Lúcio hesitated before turning away from the medical bay; perhaps that was a sign to lay off for now. Besides, he didn’t really feel like talking to anyone right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> saudade  
> /saʊˈdɑːdə/  
> noun  
> (especially with reference to songs or poetry) a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia that is supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament.  
> "her songs are based on love poems and evoke a melancholy known to the Portuguese as saudade"


	6. V. Dusk

The winter sun filtered through the blinds of Lúcio’s room, sending the room into an orange striped frenzy of colour. It took him a few minutes to muster the motivation to get out of bed and when he did so, he took a long, hot shower. It had been a few days since he had spotted Genji returning from the room Valerie was staying within and his chest had felt hollow ever since. He hadn’t even bothered writing any new songs. He later sat in the mess hall, orange juice in one hand as Hana sat across from him heavily, a stern look in her eyes.

“Why have you been so sluggish recently?” She said curtly, crossing her arms against her chest. “You’ve lost your flair, Lúcio.” Lúcio gave the young girl a wistful smile. He wasn’t so sure if he wanted to share his information. His gaze lifted to look at Genji who stood across the room, beside Angela. Lúcio observed them silently, sipping at his orange juice. After a few irritable moments of waiting, Hana turned to follow his gaze.

“They’re not dating, you know.”

“Huh?” Lúcio was shocked she could read his mind.

“Angela and Genji.” Hana furrowed her brows. “Everyone seems to think so.” So Genji and Valerie was still possible after all. “Genji doesn’t seem the type to date, anyway. I think he used to, before ‘the incident’, but now he just seems to want to help others find their inner peace.” Lúcio considered her words; perhaps that’s what he was doing after all. He sighed and placed his orange juice back atop the table; It wasn’t his business who Valerie decided to date or not. As he looked up at Hana who was staring at him inquisitively, he let out another sigh.

“Do you think Valerie will be back soon?” His words were said with a strange gentleness that made Hana look at her hands.

“I hope so.” She admitted, intertwining her fingers together. “I’ve missed my gaming buddy.”

“And my music buddy.” Hana’s gaze was soft as she seemed to be thinking something through and it was a few minutes before she finally spoke up again.

“Do you like her?”

“What?” Lúcio’s brows rose in surprise. “What do you mean? Of course I like her, she’s one of my best friends.” Hana furrowed her own brows in response.

“I mean do you _like_ her?” Her words were exasperated now. “As in _like_ like her. You’ve been so worried about her.”

“Anyone would be, she’s been through a lot.”

“Yes, but you’re there for any update about her, no matter how small it may be.” Hana murmured, her gaze unreadable. “Right now, you’re looking worried because Genji and Angela are talking. What happened that’s made you feel uncomfortable?” Lúcio furrowed his brows. Did Hana know something he didn’t? He hoped she didn’t notice he hadn’t answered her question – he wasn’t entirely sure how to answer it.

“Well,” He began and Hana nodded for him to continue. “I saw Genji leave the medical room. I couldn’t understand why he would be in there with Valerie. I wondered if maybe they had… something going before the mission.” Hana’s eyes were wide with surprise, before she burst out into a fit of laughter, her gaze filled with tears when she finally became able to breathe and reply again.

“N- no, that’s not why he was in there.” She answered, still giggling. “Genji is _so_ not Valerie’s type.”

“So why, then?” Lúcio pressed on, but Hana shook her head.

“I can’t tell you that.” She admitted, looking sincerely apologetic. “I was told not to share that news by Angela, but don’t worry. Everything’s fine.” Hana stood to leave, leaving Lúcio confused by her words. Feeling as though he needed to get his mind off everything, he made his way to his room to pick up his stick and pads. He hadn’t skated in months and wondered if the rink was still going at the base. Once he had arrived at the ice rink, he wasn’t surprised to find the locker room was as empty as ever, but found it odd that it looked as though someone cleared up the area regularly. He sent out a quiet ‘Thank you’ to Winston (and Athena) for keeping the facilities so well equipped before suiting himself up and tying up his skates. As he looked up, he gazed across at the lockers to look at the group’s set of lockers side by side. Lena’s had the flag of the United Kingdom on as well as a cute picture of her with Emily on the outside. Hana’s was covered in pictures of bunnies and odd gaming references that he didn’t understand (She frequently mentioned they were old video games that her Dad had told her about when she was younger.). His own had pictures of him from old hockey teams and past friendship groups, his signature frog logo on the top. Then he turned his gaze to Valerie’s – hers had never been very glamourous, but stuck onto the front was a picture of them from the previous Christmas when they had their last skating session. Valerie had always insisted that she wasn’t very good, but they had always watched her improve over time. Lúcio ran his fingertips down the picture, lost in thought, a gentle smile upon his lips. It had been so long since they had been all together like that. He had barely spoken to Lena since the incident and he felt horrible for it. He realised, then, that Valerie was part of the reason they were all so close. Without her, their friendship group had returned to how it was before she became a member of Overwatch. Lúcio turned and made his way to where, he hoped, the ice awaited him. The metal of his skates clicked gently against the floor, his hockey stick over his shoulders. He knew there as a puck in his pocket – there always was. When he arrived at the ice, he stopped suddenly, for he could hear the gentle whooshing noise of someone else’s presence on the ice. He made his way to the doorway of the rink and gazed at the figure upon the ice who seemed to glide so fluently, as though they had practised for years. They wore a thick, long coat disguising most of their body with black leggings covering their slim legs. Every move was as graceful as he could imagine and he was completely captivated. They performed a triple axel, landing perfectly and beginning to skate backwards as though they knew exactly where they were going without looking. Lúcio attempted to study their face and his jaw dropped when his gaze focused.

“Valerie?” He called out automatically, causing the skater to stumble and fall backwards. Valerie looked up like a deer caught in the headlights and scrambled to her feet gliding hurriedly to the far side and kicking off her skates as soon as she had reached the other side, running as fast as she could out of his sight. Lúcio was suddenly confused, his brows furrowed upon his expression. Was that Valerie? Had she run away from _him_? After a month of no contact what-so-ever, something made her fear him? Feeling hurt and confused, Lúcio removed his skates and returned to the main base, unsure of how to comprehend the surprise encounter and began to wonder if it had ever happened at all.

 

Later that evening, Lúcio decided to find out if it was really Valerie that he had seen on the ice and headed through the mess hall towards the exit of the base. As he passed through, he glanced at Angela who was sat with Fareeha, her gaze resting on him with curiosity. She almost seemed surprised that he had walked straight past her, but she knew why. Lúcio continued to head outside, to the place where only he and Valerie went, perplexed to find someone was there. He stood still when the other persons’ gaze was torn from the night sky to face him, deep blue eyes fixed upon his own with such an intense wave of sadness within them it hurt him. Their long mouse-brown hair appeared silver in the moonlight which only emphasised the glistening of the tears that ran down their face when they saw him. Valerie lifted her right arm to wipe her tears on the sleeve of her jacket as Lúcio stepped hesitantly closer. She was wearing the same attire from their short reunion upon the ice, though she wore brown lace-up boots instead of her skates. Valerie moved forwards to lean her head on his chest which surprised him immensely, but he merely wrapped his arms around her shoulders in comfort.

“I’m sorry,” She whimpered against him, her shoulders shaking from the intensity of her sadness. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting.” Lúcio couldn’t help his own tears from falling – he had missed this girl, let her down before and _she_ was the one who was sorry? “I didn’t want to run away from you, I just… I’m so scared.”

“Hey, it’s okay, Val.” Lúcio murmured, resting his chin against the top of her head. “I got you, you’re okay. You’ve got nothing to be afraid of. I’m here.” Valerie couldn’t help but sob more at the way he had forgiven her so easily. She had been afraid of her friends seeing her for so long that she had hidden away. When Lúcio saw her, she was terrified. She knew he would know where to find her, so she sat in their usual spot waiting for him. They shared their grievances in silence before they both sat upon the grassy floor, overlooking the sea. Lúcio kept one arm around Valerie’s shoulders so she could lean into him and so she would know she was no longer alone.

“I couldn’t bring myself to face you, or the girls.” She admitted in a small voice after a long silence. Lúcio’s gaze rested on her, not bothering to disguise the sorrow that filled him. “I had been out for a couple of weeks and… I’m no longer whole.” Lúcio blinked in confusion.

“What do you mean?” He asked quietly. Valerie looked up at him carefully, before shrugging off the thick coat she had been wearing. At first, everything had seemed normal to Lúcio, until her left side was revealed. Instead of flesh, her left arm had been replaced by a prosthetic substitute. She looked at it disdainfully before looking away, as though the sight revolted her.

“It’s horrible and ugly.” She murmured, another bout of tears overwhelming her. “Angela tried to get Genji to show me that it’s not that bad, but it makes me look horrible. It’s not… it’s not _me_.” Everything made sense to Lúcio now; Genji had been trying to educate Valerie. He felt awfully guilty and selfish all of a sudden, but brought his hand up to wipe away her tears.

“It doesn’t change who you are on the inside, Val.” He said so gently Valerie wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly. “It’s who you are on the inside that should matter the most. It certainly doesn’t change my opinion of you.” Valerie gazed at him through her tears and smiled a little; the closest she had been in a long time. She had missed him horribly; she had had plenty of time to mull over her feelings and while she had listened to his music during the previous month, she began to resonate with his latest tracks. She wondered, suddenly, if he had written anything else while she had been gone, but knew better than to as just then. There was a small pause in which she looked away with sadness; so much had changed – although Lúcio was accepting of her prosthetic arm, she wasn’t sure if the rest of her friends would. Lúcio continued to gaze at her before adding softly; “You’re still Valerie to me, you always will be.”

“Thank you, Lúcio,” She murmured against his chest and closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth and the sound of his heartbeat. “You always were my best friend.” Lúcio blinked slowly at her words; _was he_? He had doubted himself recently, especially now that she stood in front of him. Was he a good friend to Valerie? Did he even _deserve_ to be dubbed her best friend? He looked down at her nestled against his chest with her eyes closed. He could feel her weight against him as she relaxed and he smiled a little. At the end, it wasn’t his decision. He could feel as unworthy as the next guy, but Valerie had made her decision and he knew how stubborn she would be to deny it.

“And you’re mine too.” He replied finally. “I don’t know what would have happened if I had lost you.” Valerie looked up at him with a clouded gaze before pulling away from him and staring at her feet.

“Angela said you saved my life.” Her words made his gaze snap open as wide as they would. Angela had said _what_?

“What?” He echoed out loud.

“The gunman; _Reaper_ , she told me, was aiming at my chest.” She explained turning her gaze to the stars above them. “If… you hadn’t of knocked him out of her way, I would probably be dead. I owe you my life, Lúcio. I don’t know how I could ever repay you for that.” As she spoke, the morbid scenes from a month ago, replayed in his mind. The masked attacker from Talon had tried to kill his best friend and according to Angela, he had saved her life. His gaze trailed down her arm as she avoided his attention and he began to resent the fact that the wound that she hated so much was his fault. However, she was grateful to be alive and that alone cured Lúcio’s paranoia.

“It was in the heat of the moment,” He murmured eventually, looking over the cliff to where the water rippled against the ocean’s surface. “I refused to stand by and watch you die. Everyone else was as horrified as I was, even Fareeha.” Valerie laughed melodically, a pretty sound that surprised him.

“Fareeha was worried about me?” She questioned, and when he nodded once in confirmation she smiled gently. “I always thought she hated me.” She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before she looked up at him again, silent for a few moments. Finally, she murmured; “Okay, I think I’m ready now. Can we go back inside?” Lúcio smiled softly, turning so she could walk beside him.

“Of course we can.”

As they walked side by side, Lúcio noticed how closely Valerie walked beside him and as they neared the entrance to the base she urgently grabbed his wrist, causing him to falter in his steps.

“Are you okay?” He asked, turning to face her. Her face was pale and her expression almost unreadable if it wasn’t for the fear that glistened in her eyes.

“What if they don’t like me?” She said suddenly and Lúcio furrowed his brows in response.

“Why wouldn’t they like you, Val?”

“I’ve been missing for a month.” She replied, shuffling her feet. “I have a prosthetic arm and I’m horribly skittish about just about everything. I’m scared of my own friends.” She added the last sentence with a sound akin to a whimper, her gaze brimming with tears. Lúcio turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders gently. As Valerie met his dark gaze, she relaxed slightly – it was difficult to not be relaxed around Lúcio; he was always so chilled out.

“Valerie,” He began, a smile teasing at his lips. “You’re still you. If they really are your friends, and I just _know_ that they are, they’re not gonna care. They’re just gonna be glad you’re safe.” Valerie’s attention wandered from Lúcio’s gaze, finding herself oddly unable to look him in the eyes. It was true that all Lúcio had cared about when they were reunited was her safety. His top priority from the day they met had been her safety and when she fell to Talon’s wrath it hurt him more than he would ever tell her. Eventually, Valerie swallowed her fear and nodded once again. Lúcio gave her a gentle look over, before he turned to the doorway and lead the way into the Gibraltar base. As they neared the entrance, Valerie grasped his hand with such an urgency it took him by surprise, but he disallowed himself to show it. Right now, she needed someone to support her and he was going to do his best to be that person. They headed up the steps side-by-side; Valerie tensed a little as they neared the top as she knew the mess hall always had Overwatch members in but as they entered the room, those who were in there barely noticed their arrival. It was Hana who looked up first, a wide smile appearing on her lips as she saw her closest friends stood together. She stood up to greet them but, to Lúcio’s surprise, Valerie let go of his hand and rushed forwards to meet her friend. He watched them as they embraced one another tightly and saw them exchange quiet words, both of their gazes brimming with tears. Lena approached them not too long after and the two embracing friends turned into three. He smiled gently to himself; it reminded him of how they used to spend time together. They had been friends for what felt like decades, yet it had only been a couple of years. Hana seemed to say something to Valerie that made her blush and laugh nervously before shaking her head. Lena looked up at Lúcio and beckoned him over with one hand, inviting him to the group hug. He hesitated before he conceded, walking briskly towards his friends and enveloping them all in a huge hug.

“Man, I am never letting any of you go again.” He said through a smile, looking down at each of them in turn.

“It’s good to have the old team together again.” Lena commented, blinking more than she normally did – Lúcio reckoned she as holding back tears. “How did you cope being alone for a whole month?” She asked suddenly and Lúcio wondered if Valerie would refuse to answer, but she surprised him once again.

“Angela told me the ice rink had recently been refurbished.” She admitted sheepishly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I took to skating again, though I’m still not very good at it.” Lúcio opened his mouth to speak, but shut it once again. Hana caught his hesitance and stared at him through a narrowed gaze, yet said nothing more. “We should all go again, for old times sakes.” Valerie added as the group hug pulled apart. Lena nodded in agreement and Hana’s gaze snapped back to Valerie’s.

“That sounds like a great idea!” She grinned, her eye flicking back to Lúcio’s for only a moment. She was up to something and it was bothering him greatly. “Maybe we should do it this weekend? I told Winston I was ready to go back to small missions, so I’m booked up until Saturday.” Lena nodded once again.

“Saturday sounds good.”

“Saturday it is!” Valerie smiled. She was grateful that none of her friends had pointed out her prosthetic arm; it was nothing out of the ordinary. They did, after all, have Genji who was half man and half machine as well as McCree who had a prosthetic arm too. She felt incredibly lucky that her friends were completely non-judgemental, although they all watched her get attacked by the Talon agent, Reaper. Hana stretched her arms into the air suddenly, a yawn parting her lips as she did so.

“Man, I’m tired now.” She glanced at the clock mounted on the wall and gasped a little. “Oh man, it’s already 11pm! How did it get so late? I have a mission tomorrow.” She groaned and hugged Valerie once more. “It’s great to see you again, Valerie! I’ll catch up with you when I’m back tomorrow.” Lena patted Valerie’s shoulder and nodded with a smile.

“I have to go too, I’m driving them to China.” She paused before adding; “You’re looking so well, love. I’m happy to know you’re alright.” Lena and Hana gave them both a smile, Hana’s gaze lingering on Lúcio’s a bit longer which unsettled Valerie a little, but they soon left them stood in the mess hall together. Valerie’s gaze flitted sideways to rest upon Lúcio who stood beside her, watching where the two girls had sauntered down the hallway murmuring between themselves as they went. His dark eyes were filled with worry and confusion, but it evaporated as soon as he turned his head to meet her attention. Valerie smiled awkwardly before following the paces Lena and Hana had taken to leave the room.

“I suppose I should get some rest,” She said softly, Lúcio having to walk briskly to her side to catch her words. “It’s been… a day.” Lúcio hummed in agreement, slipping his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. He couldn’t help but feel as though Valerie was acting a little… _strange_ … tonight. He almost wanted to ask if something was bothering her, but swiftly realised she probably felt a little awkward to be around everyone again. It had been a rough month, after all.

“I understand,” He said after a moments pause that Valerie did not fail to pick up on. “I’ll walk you to your room, if you want. It’s on the way to mine, anyway.” Lúcio let loose an awkward laugh, as though he wasn’t completely sure what was happening. Valerie was silent for a few heartbeats as she focused on the metal floor they walked upon until finally she spoke up, looking up at Lúcio with evident embarrassment.

“Actually…” She began. “Could you… stay with me tonight? I’ve really missed you.” Lúcio hesitated before nodding once with a smile.

“Of course I can.” He replied, removing one hand from his pockets to pat Valerie lightly on the back. “Will there be enough room?”

“I’m sure we can make room.” Valerie said in a small voice. Truthfully, she just wanted to feel that he was there tonight. She had a few questions she wanted to ask him, mainly regarding one of his new songs; she wanted to know what it meant.


End file.
